Ricky and Al: The Adventures of Team Piercing Jaws
by tencoth
Summary: A shy but stern and strong Gligar named Al and a bold and loud-mouthed Carvanha named Ricky get into some trouble and are forced to leave town and venture off into the wild. On their trip, they meet a variety of fun and frightening pokemon from mobsters, rangers, and some familiar faces. This journey will put their friendship to the test. M for violence/coarse language from Ricky.
1. Chapter 1: The Getaway

_Author's notes_

_I'M NOT DEAD!_

_Hey everyone! If you found this I just wanna thank you for reading in advanced, you guys are awesome for that alone. Now, this is a story that I originally started writing on DeviantArt, but...well that didn't go over as great as I wanted it to, so I'm also posting here! This Story is a collaboration between me and an artist friend of mine. If you want to see her illustrations for this chapter, I'll link you to them below. _

_Again, thanks for reading! Enjoy!_

* * *

**The Getaway **

As the Ranger Orientation droned on, the Gligar found the longer he sat there the more difficult it was too keep himself awake. Who thought the right person to inspire a new wave of recruits was this dull, lifeless, and painfully matter of fact Venasaur? It was maddening; if he knew the orientation would have been this uninteresting, Al wouldn't have agreed to stay the entire time. Between lapses of unintended rest, the Gligar wondered just how long he's been sitting on his stump, placed right in the middle of other uninterested recruits. Al turned towards the sky, seeing the sun had moved the length of three pincers from the last time he checked. Unsurprising; it felt like he's been there the whole day. When he arrived—alert and ready to work, he pointedly reminded himself—the sun was just starting to peak out of the horizon. Afternoon was upon him, and the Venasaur didn't seem to have any plans to hurry along.

Al hunched over, using his pincers to hold his head up. His eyes searched for a friendly face, but all he saw were strangers. They didn't know him, he didn't know them; he was another seat filled in a crowd. "Why did I come here alone?" He asked himself, almost ready to forfeit the battle to stay awake. "I wish I brought Ricky..." Despite his wishes, Al knew his friend couldn't join him. The Carvanha was never cut out to be a Ranger. He passed none of the exams, his ego and attitude were considered a violation of a Ranger's code, and on top of all that, no one really liked him.

To be fair, he didn't like anyone either.

Still, some company—even if it's as disruptive as his—would have been appreciated. Unfortunately for Al, Ricky was spending his day racing. He constantly proclaimed his speed was legendary, and that he could outrun anyone in this tiny town, so the fastest pokemon in this town thought they'd put his skills to the test. Al assumed right about now Ricky was angrily swimming out of the track, suffering another blow to his already titanic ego.

Al found he couldn't remain attentive any longer. His eyelids sank slowly as the pincers that held his head slipped from his cheeks. The cool breeze and bustling noise of the nearby town faded as his senses checked out one by one. He knew sleeping would result in missing some important information, or he would be seen as disrespectful towards his commanders. None of this seemed to matter anymore. Al began to feel at peace as he slowly drifted into a calm, relaxing rest.

"AL!"

The Gligar sprang up from his hunched position, frantically searching around for the one that called his name. It wasn't the instructor, nor was it any of the students. The voice was familiar, yet harsh and demanding. It had to be...

"Hey, you deaf or somethin'!? LET'S GO!"

Al looked over his shoulder to see Ricky had just arrived, still surrounded by a sphere of water and ready to jolt at a moment's notice. Ricky's expression screamed of two things: adrenaline and panic. Al could tell something was wrong; the reckless attitude the Carvanha was known for getting him into of trouble. Al turned to his instructor, who's surprised expression mirrored the Gligar's, then back to his friend. The Carvanha now had his eyes fixed behind him, as if he was looking for something. Al couldn't just leave; this day was important to him. Whatever Ricky needed, it had to wait. "Sorry, Ricky, I'm a little busy right now."

Ricky's eyes widened and he turned back to Al. "Yeah, you are, but you're busy with me!" The Carvanha flew towards the Gligar, shoving Al's fellow students out of the way. Ricky rammed into Al's legs, knocking him on top of the Carvanha's body. Before Al could object, the Carvanha jettisoned out of the crowd, rushing towards the distant mountains.

After fighting against the rushing wind and water flying past his head, Al eventually pushed himself upright, though his lower body was still inside the water surrounding Ricky. Al wrapped his shivering arms around the Carvanha's top fins so he wouldn't fall off. Since he faced behind Ricky, he watched the instructor and fellow students rapidly become specs in the distance. Al turned his body around to face forward and speak with his partner. "Ricky!" He yelled, his voice trying to overpower the wind. "What the hell are you doing?! I was in the middle of..."

"Ah shut it, ya flyin' bug!" Ricky interrupted. "Hell, I was probably doin' ya a favor by showin' up. I saw you fuckin' sleepin'; that place must've been a damn nightmare. And it's just like I said, that job's for chumps, real crap work. Exactly the reason I never finished any of the friggin' courses. I never wanted a job like that; probably a bunch of sittin' around waitin' for some kid to get into trouble or some borin' crap." Ricky glanced to Al in the corner of his eye. "And you know I could've gotten in if I wanted!"

Al grit his teeth; not only was Ricky just spouting lie after lie, but he never gave Al and answer to his questions. He positioned himself to face forward before repeating his question. "Ricky, seriously, why did you-"

-CRACK-

A lightning bolt flew over the duo's head and struck a tree in their path, which combusted immediately after. Ricky swerved to the side to avoid the flames, nearly knocking his Gligar rider off balance. Al turned back, seeing a Zebstrika and a Rapidash, both equipped with saddles and goggles, were suddenly chasing after them. They were racers! "Sorry Al, ain't no time to explain, now when we got two uglies chargin' us!"

Al's grip on Ricky's fins tightened; he bent over to look into the Carvanha's eyes. "What did you do!?"

-CRACK-

Another thunderbolt flew past the two. "A'right, I may have possibly slightly rigged the race just a little bit."

"You what?!" Al furiously screamed.

"Oh come on, my plan was foolproof!" Ricky bragged, just before making a sharp turn around a tree with hopes of loosing the pursuers. "I snuck sleep seeds into everyone's breakfast but mine! It would've worked, but...well, shit happens, and it didn't work out!" Ricky glanced back to see that the turn didn't slow either racer down. The two were quickly catching up to Ricky as his aqua jet slowly weakened. "Damn, these bastards are stubborn! OY, AL, you mind takin' them out?"

Al, hearing the stomping hooves grow louder, took a look back to see a distinct image of the two racers. First, he focused on the Rapidash, who's furious, bloodshot glared daggers back at the Carvanha. His jaw was tense as he grit his teeth; a fresh hand mark painted on his cheek. Al could feel the Rapidash's raging heat resonate off his body, even against the chilled, rushing wind. The Zebstrika, on the other hand, was hungry. Unlike the Rapidash, he hardly noticed the Carvanha's rider; his eyes were fixed on Ricky's tail. His savage stare was intensified by his focus and determination. These were two beasts that truly yearned for blood. Still, Al wanted to look for a peaceful route. "Look, we can try to reason with them. Maybe-"

"Reason? Look kid, those two back there, they are way beyond reason! All we can do is knock 'em out cold then we can try and fix all this!" The barrage of fire and electricity came to a halt. Ricky glanced back, seeing the racers were only a few feet behind them. The Carvanha smirked, "Alright, Al, now's your chance! Blow the bastards away!"

Al watched the Zebriska and Rapidash quickly approach him and his partner as sparks flying off the black and white Pokemon's fur. As he mulled over Ricky's order, he simulated the different ways he could incapacitate the two racers. Using powerful tremors or a decisive blow to the head with his pincers, he could easily incapacitate the two Pokemon. It would be quick, easy, and no one had to know about it.

"...dear Arceus, I sound like Ricky." Al disgustedly muttered to himself. Realizing his partner had rubbed off him over the years, Al snapped back into focus. No fighting, no violence; they just needed to get out of the way.

Just as quickly thought came and went, an opportunity followed. As Ricky and Al left the woods, they entered the base of the nearby mountainside. Giant boulders were scattered across the dirt, like colonies of Digletts emerging from the ground to get a whiff of the dewy morning air. The rocks were perfectly sized—just small enough for Ricky to reach, but tall enough to be out of the pursuer's reach. Al assumed Ricky wouldn't cooperate, so he had to force him. Al's eyes focused on the widest boulder in sight, than rested on the ground like an upright Snorlax. Al wrapped his arms around the carnivorous fish. Ricky, realizing he was restrained, began to struggle against the Gligar's grasp. "Hey, the hell's goin' on back there?!" Al didn't answer. He threw his weight back, forcing the Carvanha to pull up and fly towards the rock. "AL, THE FUCK ARE YOU DOIN'!?" Still no answer. Seeing the boulder flying towards him, Ricky shut his eyes and desperately tried to maneuver out of the way. As the two barely cleared the rock, Al lowered his tail and caught onto the stone. They swiftly swung forward and Ricky slammed stomach first on the rock, bending his bottom fin. The Carvanha's pursuers quickly slid to a halt beside the rock, their gazes fixed at the pained fish.

Safely perched on the stone, Al released Ricky. "Aaaaaaaaaagh, Arceus dammit!" The Carvanha groaned with his fins wrapped around his stomach. "You piece a' shit! The hell was that for! Ya could've knocked the bastards out in a sec, an' you decide to beat the crap outta me!? Fuckin'...bent my lower fin. "

"Ricky, I can't do this anymore. I've been following you, obeying you, and cleaning up when you-"

"Hey, Gligar!" Al sighed; he'll never get a chance to talk. He turned two horses as they circled the boulder. "Aren't you that kid that was training with the rangers?" The Rapidash questioned. Al hesitated, giving time for the fiery horse to confirm his suspicions. "Yeah...Yeah you are. I remember seeing you hanging around there a month ago. How'd a future member of the most upstanding organization in town get mixed up with that rough-skinned scum-bag?"

"Ah, leave him alone." The Zebstrika chimed in. "You saw him fightin' with him earlier, kid probably had no idea who he's getting involved with. Hell, I'll bet the fish snatched him up as a meat shield or something."

The Rapidash stamped his hoof. "Are you kidding me? They obviously know each other! _I'll _bet he's Ricky's sidekick or something!"

"Quit your worrying already!" The Zebriska ordered as he approached the rock.

The Rapidash glared viciously at the Gligar. "...I still don't trust him." He snorted.

"Alright, Gligar, listen." The Zebristrika placed his front hooves on the boulder, elevating him to just under half the rock's height. "How about you toss us that there fishy and we can all just get on with our lives."

Al's mouth cracked open with hopes to get a word out, but his partner's overpowering voice muted the Gligar before he could get a syllable out. "Hah? Ya must be as stupid as y'are ugly if ya think Al here's gonna be givin' me up anytime soon!" Al rested his head against his pincer, waiting for his partner to finish his speech. "Me and Al are tight, like two heads on Doduo, a couple of Magnemites in a Magneton! I'll tell ya, I knew this guy fer longer than he knew his old man! We're close, practically brothers, 'cept I'm a fish and he's a freaky flyin' thing. Still, that ain't gettin' between us, nothin' gets between us! There ain't nothin' that'll make us turn on each other!"

After a small moment of silence, the electric type turned back to his fellow racer. The Rapidash huffed, "I told you they know each other."

The Zebstrika pushed himself off the rock to rejoin his partner. "Still doesn't matter. The Carvanha's all we want."

Al bent over the rock's side to question the two racers. "What's the big deal? It's just a stupid race, isn't it? The way you were chasing him made it seem like he killed-"

"Just a race, eh?" The Gligar clenched his pincers as the Zebstrika spoke; the constant interruptions were beginning to annoy him. "It's a bit more than that, kid. See, me, my buddy here, and our boss wouldn't have cared if he rigged a small race. We'd just make him pay us a small fee, maybe rough him a bit, then we'd be on our way. However, your friend didn't just try to rig a race. He did something that requires a much more severe punishment."

Al paused, almost wishing this information surprised him. Unfortunately, he knew Ricky well enough to believe the Zebstrika. He turned back to his partner. "Ricky, what did you do?"

Al's question instantly brought up Ricky's defenses "Oh, what, ya don't trust me now? I already told ya everythin'!"

"Well, He's telling me something different."

"Uh-huh, and who ya gonna believe: Some punk-ass racer that's been tryin' t'kill us, or yer ol' bud?" Ricky asked with a cocky grin. "Trust me, Al; they're just makin' up shit to..."

The Rapidash spoke up, "He broke the Boss's daughter's arm."

"Fer the last time, It was a fuckin' accident!" After the Carvanha's sudden scream, he froze like his fin was caught in someone's bag. He slowly turned to his partner. "...Uh..."

Al groaned, pressing his pincers against his temples. "Damn it, Ricky... Why would you..."

"Alright, Alright, I broke some dame's arm, but it ain't my fault!" Ricky pleaded. "She was a frickin' Lopuny, how was I supposed t'know she's as fuckin' frail as a fuckin' caterpie!? I mean, all I did was bump into her!"

"Did you use aqua jet?" Al asked.

Ricky hesitated. "...Yeeeeeeeah."

Al rolled his eyes, mentally cursing the Carvanha. "Well that's why her arm broke! When you use that move, you move as fast as-"

"Hey, that wasn't just 'some dame!'" The Rapidash yelled

Visibly frustrated, Al swiftly turned back to the racers. "Will you guys please stop interrupting-"

"Our boss is a very powerful 'mon, but he's also a very vengeful 'mon." The Rapidash continued, ignoring Al's request. "He specifically demanded we bring back your friend so he can deal with him personally. And just so you know, our boss is ready to send everything he has to get that fish, so just hand him over and no one gets hurt."

"Well, 'cept for the fish." The Zebstrika snickered

Al paused for a moment, taking a glance back at his partner. Al was noticeably angry at him, almost furious, but Ricky didn't seem to understand that. He must have mistook Al's frustrated glance with the straight-faced expression the Gligar always had, so the Carvanha expressed confidence in his returning glance. He knew without any doubt in his mind that Al wouldn't hand him over to the racers.

And he was right. Like Ricky said, they were like brothers. The Carvanha has been by his side longer than most of his family. In spite of all the stupid schemes, idiotic decisions, and that loud mouth, Al really did care about Ricky. He wasn't going to just hand him over to such a violent pair.

The Gligar let out a quiet sigh and turned back to the racers. "Listen, I..." Al hesitated, testing to see if anyone would cut him off mid-sentence. When it seemed clear for him to speak, he continued. "I-"

"You what?" The Zebstrika interrupted.

Al stamped his foot, making a giant crack in the boulder. "Will you just let me speak?!" Al's sudden outburst shut the racer's mouth. Al took a deep breath to calm himself, then continued. "Listen, I'm really sorry about what happened; my partner sometimes does things he shouldn't and always acts before thinking."

"HEY!" Ricky barked.

"Still, he is my friend, and I can't just hand him over to you guys. Maybe we can make it up to him another way? We could work at the track, or pay for her medical-"

Suddenly, a light blue orb shot out of the Rapidash's mouth and detonated on the Gligar's chest, blasting him off the boulder. Al slammed into the dirt feeling a horrible chill across his chest. He looked to where the orb hit, seeing bits of frost sprinkled across his body. "Ice..." he groaned to himself, as his head fell back again.

"Nice shot!" The Zebstrika chuckled, "Now, go make sure he doesn't get up." The Rapidash nodded and circled around the right side of the rock. "Hey, Ricky?" The Carvanha turned back to the Zebstrika, "Why do we have to do this? Why don't you just come down, Save yourself the extra beating we have to do to catch you?"

Ricky growled at the racer. "Piss off, ya hay munchin' future glue sticks! I'm gonna chew that smug face off, make ya more ugly than yer mom could ever make ya!"

Al quietly and painfully groaned, moving his pincers so he could push himself upright. Before he could, the Rapidash forcefully held him down with a hoof to the chest. The horse gradually applied weight onto the Gligar's chest, forcing the air out of his lungs. Al struggled beneath the racer's pressure. He clamped his pincers on the flaming horse's leg and began to squeeze, but the Rapidash didn't relent; Al's strength began to fade as the biggest challenge presented to him was trying to breath.

The Zebstrika smirked at his aquatic prey as sparks jumped from his fur. "Who was I kidding, we were gonna beat the shit out of you anyway."

The Carvanah's eyes widened, "Shit!" Ricky yelled as he threw his weight back, tumbling off the boulder as the Zebstrika shot a bolt of lightning from his horn. The Carvanha thumped on the Rapidash's fiery back, burning his underside before rolling onto the dirt. Ricky wrapped his fins over his singed skin as expletives flew out of his mouth, like they were the only words he knew. The Rapidash was distracted by the Carvanha suddenly appearing on his back and then on the dirt beside him.

Al took advantage of this distraction. The weight applied to the Rapidash's foot lessened, allowing Al to violently shove it off his chest and finally take a deep, rejuvenating breath. Before the Rapidash realized what was happening, Al scrambled to his feet and sprinted towards his partner. He snatched Ricky out of the dirt, grabbing him by his tail fin, and swiftly turned back to the Rapidash. The racer engulfed himself in flames and began to charge. Al's foot stomped the dirt, causing the ground shake intensely. The Rapidash lost his balance; he slowed down to regain control, which gave Al enough time to attack. The Gligar wound his free pincer behind him, and just as racer came into range, he delivered a vicious right hook across the Rapidash's cheek. The blow redirected the racer's path, sending him slamming head first into the boulder Al and Ricky were just on. The Rapidash staggered back and fourth a moment after the impact, blood flowing out of his nose. Finally, the last ounce of consciousness the Rapidash could maintain faded away, and the flaming horse collapsed.

With one racer down, Al took a deep breath and reached for his chest. The adrenaline had worn off, and the pain inflicted by ice and weight returned. The combined toll of his elemental weakness and a two hundred pound pokemon putting all it's weight on his body was too great for the Gligar. On top of all that, the pincer he used to knock out the Rapidash was slightly cooked by the Flare Blitz attack.

He needed a moment to heal...

But thats was a moment he did not have.

Luckily, Ricky—who was still hanging from the Gligar's pincer—spotted the second racer appearing behind them. The Zebstrika quickly noticed his partner out cold on the ground, but he also noticed Al's weak and frail stance. Al was certainly a powerful pokemon, but he wasn't invincible. Just one move, and the Gligar would fall, leaving the Zebstrika alone with his target. A smirk stretched across the racer's lips, dripping a corrosive purple ooze.

Ricky saw the toxin seeping from the Zebstrika's mouth. "Uh, Al, we ain't done yet!" as the Gligar began to turn, the Zebstrika spat a wad of poison. Al had no time to dodge; the toxic sludge smacked him right in the face, covering his eyes and mouth. The Gligar dropped Ricky and stumbled backwards, disoriented by the sudden blindness. "AL!" Ricky called out as his partner desperately tried to wipe the poison off his face.

Ricky turned back to the Zebstrika, who confidently strode towards the Carvanha. "Well, so much for your little lackey, Huh Ricky?" Ricky's eyes narrowed, snarling viciously at the racer. "You know, I'd love to just make you suffer right here. I'd loooove to just pin you down and send little volts through your body until you scream for mercy, then put every ounce of electricity I got inside you, but I can't. Our boss has something special planned for you, and whatever he has is bound to be twice as brutal as whatever I can come up with." The Zebstrika lowered his head. "You're going to suffer, you puny little-"

Ricky launched forward and pierced his fangs around the Zebstrika's muzzle. The Racer's eyes shot wide open in agony; his body thrashed wildly, desperately trying to shake the fish off as he screamed behind closed lips.

Meanwhile, Al finally wiped the toxic slime off his face, spitting out the drops that slipped into his mouth. He looked up, seeing Ricky biting down angrily on the Zebstrika's. Al watched the display with a bizarre sense of awe; suddenly, the cocky and confident Pokemon was sent into a state of panic once a small fish latched onto his face. Granted, the fish was carnivorous, but it was still a sight to behold.

However, once the Zebstrika's fur started to spark, Al jumped back into the action. The Gligar slammed his arms into the dirt and a giant boulder shot up from the ground, jabbing the Zebstrika's stomach. The racer's frantic movements were suddenly halted on impact, and his electric fur calmed. Slowly, the rock sank back into the ground, and the Zebstrika limply fell with it until he was lying helpless on the dirt. Ricky glanced over to his partner, smiling as best he could considering he had a mouthful of Zebstrika face.

Ricky released the Zebstrika's muzzle and turned towards Al as the Gligar walked towards him. "Nice work, kid, takin' out these fuckin' trottin' bastards like the punks they are! Way to teach them what happens when ya mess with Team Piercing Jaws!" At this, a faint smile grew on Al's lips; it's been a long time since anyone has uttered that old team name, but it was still somewhat nostalgic to the Gligar.

The two looked down at the limp Zebstrika that lie before them, focusing on the giant gash in his face and the giant bruise on his stomach. "You think he'll be...?" Al asked before he was cut off by a faint sound that came from the Zebstrika. At first, it sounded like a quiet moan, but after a few repetitions, it was clear what the sound was.

"Is he cryin'?" Ricky asked between sobs. Suddenly, the Carvanha burst into laughter. "HAHAHAAAA! How 'bout that! Mr. Big Shot can boast and threaten all he fuckin' wants, but once mons start fightin' back, it's all 'boo hoo they're too much for me!'" Ricky scooted him forward to be right in the Zebstrika's face. "Hey, Sparky! What's the matter? Did the 'puny little fishy' bite ya too hard!" Al rolled his eyes and lifted the Carvanha by his top fin, making him cringe slightly. "Agh! Watch it Al! Not so tight!"

"Come on, we're heading home." Al said as he walked back home, dragging his partner by his fin. Al glanced towards the sky, noticing the blue afternoon sky had turned a bright orange. "It's later than I thought" Al mumbled.

"Time flies when you're kickin' ass." Ricky replied.

* * *

By the time they got home, the sun had vanished from the sky, hiding behind the mountain range in the west. The entire town shut down for the night, leaving the streets barren. All rangers, shopkeepers, and humble citizens were quietly tucked away in their homes, enjoying a well deserved rest. Only the insane and the wicked would be awake at such an hour.

"Sorry Ricky, we don't have any rawst berries." Al apologized as he placed a bucket filled with ice water beside his partner as he stared out into the moonlit town. The Gligar then took a seat beside the Carvanha and popped an oran berry into his mouth. "This might help your burn though."

The Carvanha turned to the steel bucket, watching the water splash against the walls. He shrugged, "Eh, better than nothin', I guess." Ricky lifted himself over the bucket by the rims and dunked his stomach and bottom fin into the water. He shivered at first, but the chilled water quickly eased the stinging on his underside. "Aaaaaah, that's the stuff. I'm tellin' ya, Al, there ain't nothin' better than dunkin' yourself in a big ol' body of water. It's the most refreshin'est thing you could ever imagine. Reminds me, you ever tried any of that Aqua Ring water? That stuff's the best, I swear to arceus! I wanna big ol' pool of the stuff when I finally make it big."

"uh-huh." Al murmured before taking another bite out of his berry.

Ricky, seeing his partner begin to ignore him, tapped the Gligar's arm. "Hey, Al, tell me somethin'. How the hell'd you survive that poison? I could've sworn that slime smacked ya right in the cheek."

Al swallowed the remainder of his berry before he spoke. "Well, some Gligars are immune to poison, and I'm one of them."

The Carvanha nodded, "I get it. So, you can't get hurt by poison's, ey? Seems pretty handy. Ya could just take all the poison that some chump throws at me, ey?"

"Mm-hmm..." Al was waiting for Ricky to end the small talk so he would reveal his plans on dealing with the powerful pokemon he pissed off.

"...Soooo...I was thinkin' we leave town."

And there it was. Al sighed, resting his chin on a pincer. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

"I mean, we can't stay here! Al, you have no idea what kind of a mon I pissed off. Guy's a freakin' mob boss or somethin'! I know he ain't gonna stop until he's cookin' me for dinner."

Al raised his head. "Wait...so you're telling me you pissed off the Mafia."

"Kinda. I mean they ain't strictly a mob like that bunch of Murkrow we met, but they might as well be."

"... so I was fighting mobsters today?"

"Again, Kinda. they're racers first, but I guess you could call 'em that and they'd agree with ya."

Al groaned, slapping a pincer against his forehead. "Arceus, Ricky..."

"Hey, I'm sorry, Al. It just kinda happened!" Ricky said defensively. "Listen, I know you've been makin' a life for yerself and everythin', but it ain't gonna work out no more. Ya helped me fight off the two punks today, so you're in this as deep as I am."

Al lowered his pincers, letting them rest on his lap as he sat there in silence. "...I know, Ricky..." He eventually sighed and leaned against the wall. "So where were you thinking of going?"

Ricky's eyes shifted to the upper right corner of their sockets as he thought. "I was thinkin' we head west, past the mountains. See what kinda goodies lie on the other side! Hell, ya might find a ranger job over there as well!"

With no objections, Al shrugged. "Okay, west it is."

"Great! Let's leave now!"

Al stared blankly at the Carvanha for a moment after his suggestion. "...Like, right now? Right this second?"

"Why not?" Ricky asked. "Pitch black, whole town's asleep, and we can probably make it to the base of the mountain before anyone notices we hit the road. Ain't a time better to get outta here!"

Al eventually turned away, shaking his head. "Fine." He replied with a defeated tone, pushing himself up. "I'll grab some supplies."

"Oh, and bring along this bucket." Ricky ordered, slapping the metal as he spoke. "It'll be much better to carryin' me in than you draggin' me by my fin."

* * *

Illustrations:

Turns out I can't link stuff. In that case, Go to the DeviantArt account under the name Sparradile if you wanna see the illustrations. They're under the folder PMD World's Edge


	2. Chapter 2: A Night or Two

_Author's notes_

_Here's where two of my friends characters will come into play. _

_Once again, links to the Illustrations are below._

* * *

**A Night Or Two**

"...So when I finish druggin' their food, I turn around and see this Lopuny babe standin' behind me. At first I'm like, 'Hey, whatchu lookin' at!' but then I figure out what she's lookin' at. Me. Druggin' food. So then I'm like 'Hey, don't go tellin' anyone. Can we just talk 'bout this?' But then she just bolts away before I can say a darn thing! I get all worried 'cause I dunno who the dame might go blabbin' to, and I chase her down, yellin' at her to stop. I follow her for a little while before I realize just where she's headed: the big man's office. Now I tried gettin' in front of her, grabbin' her arm, or just screamin' at her, but nothin' works! Eventually, I get tired of all the diplomatic shit and I just smash my head into her arm. Not too hard though; hell, I probably hit her softer than when I smashed into your legs. Well, it stopped her, but then she started cryin' and wailin' and screamin' 'You broke my arm! You broke my arm!' So I was like 'pipe down, I didn't break your freakin' arm' but she kept screamin' and cryin' and I stopped knowin' what t' do. She was drawin' all sorts of attention, so I darted away which is when..."

It never ceased to amaze Al how Ricky could take a period of ten to twenty minutes and manage to explain it for well over an hour. Ricky just seemed to blather on and on from the tiny metal bucket that Al dragged along the ground, trailing the dirt alongside a large, worn red pack stuffed with berries, blankets, and other essentials for their journey. All of this, Al had to drag by himself. The Gligar was strong, but even he had his limits, and lugging around all this stuff behind him had taken a serious toll on Al's body. Five days had passed since the two had fled out west. They were out of the small forests and fields their old town was situated in and had entered the mountain range nearby. They passed through interconnected caves and passes and between cloud-piercing mountains. It would definitely be difficult for the racers or anyone else to track the two Pokemon, but it left the Gligar exhausted.

Eventually, the Gligar stopped in his tracks, bending over, his pincers on his knees and his breath heaving heavily. Ricky cut his story short when he noticed his partner wasn't moving any more. "Ey, Al, why'd you stop?" Without a word, the Gligar fell back on the dirt covered stone. He gently rested his head on the ground, finally getting a chance to take in his surroundings. Rough stone walls towered over him on either side, perfectly framing the darkening sky above them. It was night, but only just; the sun had set only thirty minutes ago, leaving the western sky with a faint orange glow contrasting the dark blue and black overhead. The moon was bright tonight, sending a calming white light cascading down into the canyon the duo sat inside. From the sparse greenery scattered throughout the dirt to the bright and contrasting colors of the Carvanha, everything had a pale glow beneath the moonlight. Al could feel his limbs relax and his eyelids sink as his body began to shut down for the night.

He might have actually fallen asleep if it wasn't for his partner.

"AL!"

The Gligar jolted back to attention at the sound of Ricky's sharp screech.

"Get up, ya bum! We still gotta lot o' ground t'cover!"

Al stayed on the ground, pressing his pincers against his tired eyes." Ricky...I'm exhausted. I've been carrying all this for da-"

"I know how long we've been on the road, ya don't gotta tell me!" Ricky interrupted, "But you wanna give those two speedy bastards time t' catch up with us? I dunno 'bout you, but I don't feel like gettin' shocked or burned or whatever they got up their sleeves. Ain't fun." The Carvanha impatiently slapped his bucket. "Now come on, let's get this show on the road!" Al weakly sat up, every blink enticing him to fall into a deep sleep. Between blinks, he noticed something that stood out from the pale earth-tones of the canyon. The object was olive-colored, and seemed to be made of a loose material, as it fluttered in the breeze, but it still had a definite structure. Al focused on the object, noticing the pentagonal front, the long sides, the ropes tightly securing the roof to the ground. It was a tent to most, but to Al, it was something even better.

"An outpost!" The Gligar blurted out, confusing his partner.

"A wha'?"

"It's a Ranger Outpost, over there just past that wall!" Al pointed excitedly before snatching the bucket's handle and the pack's strap and dashing towards the tent.

Ricky almost slipped out of his receptacle as the Gligar yanked him forward. He wrapped his fins around the rim in an effort to keep steady. "Hey! What the big idea! The hell's this outpost thing?"

"It's a place that Rangers set up for travelers to stock up on supplies, rest for a little while, or get an escort to the next town." Al explained as they approached the entrance, stopping just in front of the door. "I always wanted to see one."

"Ah, come on, Al. Since when did we need to stop for anythin' but a quick bite to eat and a small nap? We don't need no stinkin' outpost!" Al ignored the Carvanha and began to walk towards the tent.

But Ricky would have none of it. The Carvanha surrounded himself in water and yanked himself and the bucket out of Al's hand. The Gligar turned back to his partner as the Carvanha continued. "Come on, let's keep movin' west, I'm sure there's a town comin' up soon. We can get some good grub, find a nice place to stay; probably loads better than anything this crappy tent has t' offer."

Al's shoulders sank; he was in no condition to deal with the Carvanha at the moment. "Ricky, I'm exhausted; I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in almost a week. Can't we just-"

"Nu-uh, not happenin'." Ricky interrupted, shaking his head in the bucket. "We gotta keep movin' unless ya want ol' flame-brain and sparky to track us down."

Al hesitated. "...Well...I don't, but-"

"And hey, like I said, next town to the west probably ain't that far. I'm guessin' it's a day or two away tops. If ya can survive five days, then I'm sure you'll make the rest of the wee-"

"If you're heading west, the next town is nine days away."

Ricky and Al turned back to the entrance, where a tall, slick-looking Pidgeotto appeared from the entry-flap. "Well, that's just for me, when I fly there. It'll probably take you guys quite a while longer; I'm guessing two and a half weeks, at least." As she spoke, her eyes targeted onto the Carvanha, as if she intended her information to insult his guess. "So, are you two just gonna keep yelling at each other all night, or do you need something?"

"Oy, get back to yer nest, feather-head." Ricky barked. "This talk's between me and my-"

"We'd like to stay a night or two."

Ricky slapped the side of his bucket. "Dammit, Al!"

"A night or two, huh?" The Pidgeotto asked as she observed the two Pokemon, focusing on the raging Carvanha as he pouted in his bucket. She turned back to the Gligar "Your little fish friend won't cause too much trouble?"

"This 'little fish'll bite yer friggin' sassy lil' beak off, ya cocky Torchic!" The Pidgeotto turned away slightly, visibly snickering. "The hell you laughing at?"

The Pidgeotto let her snickers die down slightly before answering, a smirk toying at her beak "Sorry, it's just so rare to hear threats from my one of my favorite foods."

The Carvanha steamed up at the comment. "SHUT YER MOUTH, BIRD BRAIN!" Ricky explosively yelled before thrashing about in his bucket, "I'LL PLUCK EVERY ONE OF THOSE FEATHERS OF YOURS OFF AN' SHOVE 'EM DOWN YOUR THROAT!"

Panicked, Al ran up to his partner, desperately trying to calm him before he got himself hurt. The Pidgeotto laughed as she watched the scene, creating a vicious cycle of amusement and rage. The harder Pidgeotto laughed, the more vicious Ricky became and the more vicious Ricky became, the harder the Pidgeotto laughed.

Al had to put a stop to it. The longer it went on, the further his dreams of a soft bed and a warm meal faded away. "Ricky, please, just calm down!" Al pleaded, but it was useless. The Carvanha just continued to scream expletives and insults at the Pidgeotto. "Ricky, just...can you..." Getting his voice out was impossible; every time Al tried to speak, both the fish and the bird drowned him out.

Al placed his pincers on top of the Carvanha and shoved him down further into the bucket. "MMPH!" Ricky's mouth was sealed by the tight space squeezing his jaw shut. All he could manage were muffled shouts and muted yells. Unfortunately, Ricky's silence only made the Pidgeotto's laughs get louder and harder. Her wings wrapped around her stomach as she desperately tried to keep on her feet. Al's ear twitched, barely hearing Ricky's screams muted by the steel surrounding him. The cycle continued, but at least it would be easier to get a word out.

As the Pidgeotto's laughs started to die, Al spoke up. "Listen, I'm sorry about my partner, he's not always like-"

"Oh man..." The Pidgeotto interrupted, leaving Al unsure if she even heard his apology. She took a deep, calming breath before she continued. "Whew, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Your friend...Your friend's a riot."

Al cocked an eyebrow. Was this a good thing, or a bad thing?

The Pidgeotto stood up straight and continued. "My name's Kita, by the way. What's his name?"

"Uh..." Al turned back to the shaking bucket full of raw, rough scaled rage. "His name's Ricky, and I'm..."

"Al, right?" Kita interrupted with a chuckle, "I heard him shout your name a bit earlier."

"Ah...right..." There was a loud clang behind the Gligar, the sort of clang made when a rock strikes a piece of steel. Al turned around to see the bucket was tipped over, and the top of the Cavanha's head was poking out slightly further than before. Al heard his partner belt out muffled cries as his fins tried to pull himself out of the bucket. "Er...like I said, sorry about my partner." Al repeated.

"Pfft, don't be." Kita said as she passed Al and walked towards the bucket. "I've been working here a while now, so I've dealt with worse. Doubt he could even back up his threats." She placed her foot on the bucket, holding it down firmly against the dirt. "Why don't you pop him out of here, and we can talk about you guys staying the night."

Still desperate for shelter, Al followed Kita's order. He ran up to the bucket and clamped his pincers on the Carvanha's dorsal fins. Summoning all his strength he yanked on Ricky's fins as the Carvanha let out pained shrieks in response. Eventually the Carvanha popped right out, causing Al to lose his balance and stumble onto his behind; Ricky coming down right on top of him.

It didn't even take a second for Ricky to mouth off at the Gligar. "Oy! What's the deal with ya?! First ya slam me gut first onto a rock, then ya shove me into a bucket, and now you're yankin' on my head-fins like I'm a fuckin' weed stuck in the ground! The hell's wrong with ya, you tryin' to get me killed or somethin'?! I ain't got no sturdy hide like you got; all I got is a couple'a rough patches on me, and that's it! I'm a pile of flesh an' bones, and my bones are freakin' tiny! You gotta be..."

"A-hem"

Ricky glanced at the bird as she cleared her throat, a sheepish grin on his lips. "One second." He said before turning back to his partner. "Like I said, ya gotta be more careful with me! I mean, I know I've got a freakin' power-house jaw, but that ain't gonna help my defensive side!..." Ricky hadn't skipped a beat, continuing to lecture his partner without even acknowledging the Pidgeotto.

Al looked past his partner as he continued to rant; he eyed the Pidgeotto, looking at her as if he were about to say, 'Wait for it.'

"An' all the blood that stained my teeth- HEY!" Ricky swiftly turned back to the Pidgeotto, his dark red eyes glaring into her yellow ones. "Oooh no, don't think I'm done with you!"

"I never said we were-"

"Who the hell do ya think I am, sayin' all that crap 'bout me?" Ricky hopped off Al's body, continuing his scolding on the dirt. "I'm faster and pack a bigger punch than you can even imagine! I've out-swam a couple of pro racers and broke a Graveler in half with nothin' but my jaws! I'll have ya know I could tear your ass up in less than twenty seconds flat! Ya ain't shit t' me; I've fought probably hundreds of 'mon that'd make ya fly home to yer mama the second it glances at ya!"

"Yeah, and my dad's a Ho-oh." Kita sassed as she passed the two pokemon, walking towards the tent's entrance. "Come on in, guys."

"Thanks, but fuck you!" Ricky called as she walked inside. "We don't need no help from you! Al an' I together are as strong as a Onix! We don't need- Hey!"

Two arms wrapped around the Carvanha from behind interrupted his bragging and lifted him up. "What're ya think yer doin'?! Put me down, Al!" Ricky protested as he thrashed around in the Gligar's arms

Al kept a decent hold on the Carvanha as he wiggled and struggled to get free. "Ricky, can you just behave for me, just this once?" Al pleaded. "I need some decent rest."

"Al, I told ya, we can't just stop now. We got guys probably hot on our trails, sniffin' us out and trackin' us down, and every day they get closer and closer. We can't afford to stay here, so you gotta-"

"We're only in this mess because of you!" Al yelled, shutting the Carvanha up. "And you just forced me to go along with you. Just at least let me have this one night!"

For once, Ricky fell silent. There was no immediate retort or blurted out insult; he just sat in his partner's arms with a sealed jaw. Eventually, the Carvanha let out a quiet sigh and a grunt, "Fine".

With that Al picked up their traveling bag and bucket, walked towards the curtain-like door, and went inside. The first thing the two saw when they entered was the Pidgeotto that entered before them, illuminated by the lanterns spread across the length of the army green tent. Al turned to one of the tent's walls, seeing thick and comfortable sleeping bags lie spread from one end to another. They looked so warm and soft, with thick, heavenly cushions calling out to the Gligar's weary head.

She smirked before turning to the far left end of the tent. "Hey, Berg! We have a couple of 'mons looking to stay the night!" Ricky and Al peered in the direction Kita called towards, spying a Donphan facing a brightly lit desk, his trunk shuffling through various documents. He turned to the bird's call, revealing the broken tusk, the shredded ear, and the various scars on the right side of his body.

"Do we now?" He seemed oddly surprised. Did he not hear the sharp screams and roaring laughter just a few minutes ago? As his armored body lumbered towards the three pokemon, Ricky and Al could see the age in his hide. He was still in marvelous shape—his body was noticeably tall, sturdy, and strongly built—but the wrinkles and scars in his leathery skin and his sluggish pace were clear marks of a pokemon that had been around for some time. When he finally stood before Ricky and Al, he quietly stared at the two with his faded blue eyes before speaking. "What're yer names?"

The Gligar hesitated for just a moment, slightly intimidated by the Donphan stature. "Um...I'm Al, and this-"

"Name's Ricky." The Carvanha fearlessly butted in. "You in charge here?"

"Yeah." The Donphan nodded. "M'name's Bergen; I run..."

"Yeah, well how 'bout ya order the flyin' Rattata to shut her sassy lil' bea-MPH!" Al quickly wrapped his pincers around Ricky's mouth to keep him from saying something that would get them in trouble. The Gligar turned back to the Donphan, who glared at the two with a cocked brow. Al was already waving his chances of staying the night goodbye.

In the background, Kita could be heard snickering at the scene. Bergen barely noticed her amusement and turned to his partner. "Kita, were you givin' these two trouble outside?"

"Pfffft, nooooo!" She said with extreme exaggeration. She wasn't even trying to convince Bergen of her innocence, since everyone in the room already knew she was lying.

The Donphan let out a quiet grunt before turning back to Ricky and Al. "I apologize fer my partner, she gets this way every now an' then. Still, I'd prefer it if ya kept comments like that to yerself from now on."

"He will, sir." Al answered in place of his partner; for once, Ricky remained silently disgruntled while Al did the talking. "We won't cause any trouble; we'll just be staying one night, and we'll be on our way."

"Alright then." Bergen backed away slightly, revealing the sleeping bags his body blocked "Help yerself to a bed; yer the first 'mons we've had in quite a while, so you two can take whichever you want."

Al could feel his body be drawn towards the first bed he saw, as if the thick green sleeping bag resting on a narrow bed roll was an alluring mistress seductively gesturing the Gligar come closer. Soon, the bed was at Al's feet. The Gligar placed his partner and all the junk he hauled inside on the floor beside the bed, turned around, and fell back onto the sleeping bag. From the neck to his knees, his stiff body began to soften and relax as he sank into the thick cushions. He didn't want to wait a second longer; Al rolled over, unzipped the bag, and slipped inside. Within moments, Al could feel the warmth of the cushions sedate him. His eyes grew heavy, his body shifted into a more comfortable position, and his consciousness slowly faded.

"Are ya already fallin' asleep, Al?" There was no answer. Even if Al heard him from his wondrous trance, he would not dare answer. He had earned his rest. "...Geez, it ain't even that late, and yer already knockin' out." Ricky continued, "I mean I knew you were tired, but come on, ya can't go on fer a bit longer? I ain't tired in the slightest!"

"I wonder why." Kita butt in from behind, "If I were to guess, just based off what I gathered from you two shouting at each other, he's been doing all the work and heavy lifting and you've been sitting in the back gloating about the power of your teeth. How close am I?"

Spot on.

"You ain't even close!" Ricky said as he spun around to argue with the Pidgeotto. "I'm always pullin' my own weight, even if it ain't the physical kinda weight. Al may be the brawnier of the two of us, but I'm the one makin' all the plans and decidin' where we go next."

"So what, you're all brains now?" Kita questioned, "What happened to all that bragging about your strength and speed?"

"Ey! I don't lose those when I'm usin' my noggin! I still..."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you earlier. You and your lightning fast swimming and your Graveler piercing jaws." Kita mocked, flicking a wing against one of the Carvanha's fangs. "Y'know, I find it hard to believe any of that; you seem like all talk and no 'BAM'."

Ricky rolled his eyes. "An' here we go. Gotta tell ya, birdie, you ain't preachin' anythin' new. I heard it all before: 'you're all talk, ya got no strength, yer a fuckin' moron', and I could go on, but I'll save yer tiny lil' bird brain the stress. Trust me, you ain't sayin' anythin' I haven't heard before, but you also ain't sayin' things I haven't proven wrong before!

"Well, if that's the case," Kita leaned forward as she spoke, her eyes viciously glaring into the Carvanha's, "Do you think you could prove me wrong?"

Ricky smirked, returning the glare with a chuckle. "Hehe. Birdie, you got a death wish or somethin'?"

"Y'know, it's been forever since I've had a good fish." The Pidgeotto said as her tongue slid across her beak. "I think I'll enjoy-

"Kita, no eatin' the guests." Bergen interjected as he passed the two.

"Aww, come on Berg!" Kita protested as the Carvanha laughed at her. "Ugh...fine. If we can't fight, then how about...a little contest? You keep boasting about how you're lightning fast and you have mighty jaws, so why not prove it? It's not too late, and I know a good place where we can test if you're all talk or not."

Ricky grinned at the Pidgeotto, "You're on, feather head!"

* * *

Illustrations: Note, she has not completed illustrating this yet! I'll update it when she does!

Turns out I can't link stuff. In that case, Go to the DeviantArt account under the name Sparradile if you wanna see the illustrations. They're under the folder PMD World's Edge


	3. Chapter 3: Test Your Might

**Test Your Might**

With the sun hiding behind the mountains, the wildlife of the canyon began to isolate themselves. The stigma of the night being dangerous was extremely prevalent in this region, so by the time nightfall came about, not a soul dared to set foot outdoors. Depending on their size, the canyon's inhabitants found shelter in caves, burrows, or underneath stones. This left the land practically deserted, which made it ideal to have a competition uninterrupted.

Kita was the first to reach the spot where she would test the chatty Carvanha. She landed on a small stump before turning back to see how far back Ricky was. As it turned out, he wasn't far behind, but he seemed to slow down every foot he traveled; the ball of water that propelled him forward began to falter. Eventually, the Ricky gave up, letting the water around him collapse to the ground as his slightly crooked belly fin drug across the dirt and gravel.

"Well so much for all that speed you were boasting about." Kita said smugly, a smirk toying at her beak.

Ricky glanced up at the Pidgeotto, "Listen, Rita..."

"Kita" The Pidgeotto corrected

"Whatever—I've been on the road with my bud all day, goin' past mountain's caves an' all that junk. I wasn't sittin' comfy in some tent out in the middle o' nowhere waitin' on some chump t' walk by so you can pick on 'em. Plus, I ain't been around no water in a good while. I've had shit t' drink, but nothin' like I want. It's been weeks since I've seen a river, or a lake, or the ocean, or a…a…" Ricky's words petered off as he finally became aware of the shallow body of water that lied before him

"STREAM!" The Carvanha proclaimed, instantly enraptured up by the beautiful sight of clear, gently flowing water glimmered in his eyes. Without missing a beat, the Carvanha's measly fins shoved him forward, sending him rolling into the water. When his rough skin splashed into the ice cold creek, Ricky let out a deep and satisfied sigh. "Aaah yeah! This is the stuff. Been so fuckin' long since I've had anythin' close to a decent swim."

Kita rolled her eyes as she watched Ricky splash around in the creek like an especially pleased Magikarp. However, while it was amusing to watch, they weren't just so Ricky could splash blissfully in the water.

Kita hopped off the stump and landed in the creek, letting the icy water rush over her talons as she approached the Carvanha. "Alright dude, enough messing around." The Pidgeotto said as her talon lightly nudged Ricky's back. "I thought we were having a contest of strength and speed, not a pool party."

With a disappointed groan, the Carvanha pushed himself upright. "Tch, pushy, ain'tcha? Not gonna give a guy a decen't chance t' swim 'til he jumps through yer hoops." He said as he spun around to face Kita. "Alright, where is he? Who's the sorry sad-sack I'm givin' a tremendous beatin' to today?"

A smirk toyed on the on the edge of the Pidgeotto's beak. She bent over, placing a wing over the Carvanha's body as she pointed the other one towards a boulder further down the creek.

Ricky stared at the stone with a straight face.

"…That's a rock."

"What's your point?" Kita asked, standing upright again.

"Well how the fuck am I supposed to fight some rock?! Not really somethin' that poses much of a challenge. It don't even bite ya back!" Ricky contested, getting louder with every word.

"Well hang on, that doesn't mean it can't test your might." Kita retorted. "I've seen plenty of pokemon half your size, and with an eighth of your ego smash a boulder like that without even trying. Besides..." The Pidgeotto closed in on the Carvanha with narrow eyes and amused smile. "Didn't you tell me you split a Graveler in half with your 'mighty fangs'?" The tip of her wing poked Ricky's forehead, and kept poking him there as she spoke. "Surely some rock would be no problem for such a powerhouse like yourself."

Ricky was not amused.

"Poke me again if you wanna lose the wing."

Kita retracted her wing and stood upright. After rubbing the poked area of his forehead, Ricky turned towards the boulder. "Alright then, wise-guy," he said while glancing back at the Pidgeotto "I'll break your precious rock if ya really want me to, and I'll break four more after that if one ain't enough for ya! I won't even need t' bite it, I'll just ram it and it'll smash into-"

"Less talking, more smashing!" Kita impatiently interrupted.

Ricky let out a big puff of air as he swiveled around to face the boulder once again. His breaths grew deeper, his body loosened up.

This wouldn't be a problem, he thought; that boulder was going to crack open easily once Ricky's head smashed into the side. The Carvanha's confidence was rapidly growing.

Along with his pride, unfortunately.

"Wanna put money on it?" Ricky asked, cocking his head back at Kita.

"Smash the damn boulder!" Kita shouted.

Ricky shrugged at Kita's response. "Your loss." He said cockily as his body was surrounded by a ball of rushing water.

Ricky backed up just an inch, keeping his eyes locked on the boulder. The world seemed to freeze in anticipation, waiting on the Carvanha to make his attack. Ricky was already envisioning the boulder shattering beneath him, the Pidgeotto staring slack-jawed in awe of his might. He was ready. Ricky rocketed towards his target with break-neck speed. His eyes snapped shut so shards of rock wouldn't get in his eyes when he smashed the boulder to pieces. His forehead slammed against the boulder, bringing him to a complete stop. Everything was silent; only the subtle sound of the water flowing in the creak and around the Carvanha persisted.

"...AH FUCKIN'!" Ricky screamed as the veil of water surrounding him vanished and he fell to the ground. The Carvanha rolled around in the creek, his fins tightly grasping his head as he cursed quietly to himself "OOOOW, owowowowowowowowow, Arceus DAMMIT!"

"Well I guess that proves one thing." Kita said with a chuckle as she approached the fish. "You're not heavy enough to smash this rock." She poked his head once again. "All that's in there is hot air."

"SHUT YER BEAK" Ricky yelled as he pathetically swatted away Kita's wing.

"Ah don't worry about it man, maybe if you break your skull I'll count it as breaking the rock!" The Pidgeotto mocked with a hearty laugh.

Ricky rushed back towards the rock, this time sinking his fangs into the stone. Ricky gnawed and gnashed at the boulder with every ounce of strength contained in his jaws, but it was to no avail. The Carvanha couldn't even chip it.

Kita hopped out of on the water and on to the boulder, watching the Carvanha struggle with the boulder as the water on feet dripped down the stone. "You're gonna break your teeth before you do anything to the rock."

Ricky ignored the bird's comment and continued to chew on her perch.

The Pidgeotto smirked as she continued to watch the Carvanha's attempt. As she did, her eye was caught by something that crossed Ricky's forehead. It was his scar, the light pink remnants of a long gash that diagonally ripped down his face. The edges were uneven and jagged, and the ends were rounded slightly. It was an odd mark, and it peaked Kita's interest.

"Hey, where'd that come from." She asked the struggling Carvanha.

The Carvanha didn't answer. "Hey, scales, I'm talking to you!"

Ricky paused for a moment and glanced at the Pidgeotto. "Whaaa yaaa aaaaaki awoooow?" He said with his teeth still locked against the boulder.

Kita rolled her eyes, "Quit biting the rock so I can understand you."

Ricky's teeth released the boulder and he backed away, rubbing a fin against his jaw. "Jeez…my mouth's killin' me." He said before turning to the Pidgeotto. "What were ya talkin' 'bout?"

"Your scar," Kita answered, "Where'd you get it?"

Ricky seemed a little vexed; usually his scar was among the first thing others notice about him, right next to his glowing personality. "How did ya not see it 'till now?"

"I dunno. It's dark and I wasn't really looking for it."

"Yeah but it's, like, bright pink crossin' over my dark blue head. It's kinda fuckin' obvious."

Kita quietly huffed. "Look, are you just gonna tell me or not?"

After a moment of thinking, the Carvanha shrugged. "It wasn't nothin' special. When I was a guppy some punk an' I had a disagreement, an' he decided to leave that disagreement all over my face."

Kita stared at the Carvanha with her brow cocked in confusion. "…He what?"

Ricky pressed a fin against his shut eyes and groaned. "He cut my friggin' forehead, what do you want from me?"

Kita shrugged "I dunno. Uh…who was it? What'd you do to piss him off so much? Details man, details! You got such a motor mouth I'm surprised I'm getting so little!"

"Well tough." Ricky answered harshly. "I don't remember that crap. I was just a kid an' he was some fuckin' jackass that got pissed at me."

Disappointed with that answer, the Pidgeotto sighed and settled into the boulder below her. After a moment, a smile appeared on the corners of her beak. "Well then I'm surprised you don't have more of those."

"What?" Ricky asked, though he had an idea what Kita would say.

"You seem like the kind of guy that would have disagreements with a lot of pokemon. You should be covered in those scars!"

"Now ya see I knew you'd say that. I KNEW you'd say that!" Ricky replied, getting ready for another rant "You see me an' you think 'oh man this guy, he's trouble I'll tell ya that. He's probably some thug movin' from place t' place pickin' fights with 'mons an' beatin' the livin' hell outta them just 'cause he can.' Well you listen here, ya dull beaked empty headed ball of feathers, I only pick fights with guys that're askin' for it, an' if your ready for a beatin' then I ain't gonna hold back."

Kita started to snicker as Ricky laid out his empty threats. "Hehe, man you are just the most adorable little guy, aren't ya?" She said slowly and clearly, making sure her words stung the Carvanha.

And stung him they did. "OY! I ain't adorable ya fuckin' sorry sack of fluff, and I ain't tiny! I'll bite yer frickin' head off you—"

Ricky was interrupted by a fit of laughter as the Pidgeotto's wings began to wrap around her stomach. She barely managed to speak through her laughter. "I'm just messin' with ya, man." Ricky growled as Kita laughed at his expense. Eventually, the Pidgeotto's laughs died down. "Ho man…Hey, you wanna grab something to drink?"

Ricky's growls died with the prospect of alcohol. "To…drink?"

The Pidgeotto's body became upright as she explained. "Yeah. Burg's got some booze back at the outpost. Been a while since I had a good drinking buddy; you in?"

Ricky lied in the water motionless as he considered her offer. "Uh…"

"Come on man, hurry up. It's getting cold." Kita said impatiently.

Eventually, the Carvanha caved in to his alcoholic tendencies and agreed. "Ah fuck it, fine."

"Cool, I'll carry you." Kita leapt off her perch with her wings spread open. She swooped down and snatched Ricky by one of his head fins before taking to the skies.

Ricky cringed as the Pidgeotto's talons dug into his fin and yanked him into the sky. "AH! Easy! What's the big idea anyway?!"

"I don't wanna have to be waiting on you." She said sassily and with a smirk as she soared back to the base. "You know, you seem pretty calm, hanging in the air like this. I could drop you, y'know."

"Ah, wouldn't be the first time." Ricky replied. "Al carries me a bunch, an' that includes flyin', so I'm kinda used to it. What I ain't used to are your claws diggin' into my head. Ya mind easin' off?"

Kita glanced down at the Carvanha. "If I 'eased off'…" Her talon let go for a second, dropping the Carvanha an inch before grabbing him again. "…I'd drop you.

Ricky's fins fearfully grasped onto the Pidgeotto's feet as Kita latched onto his fins. He looked up at the smirking bird carrying him. He decided to his mouth shut for a while, he was rather high up to risk getting dropped.

After a little bit of flying, Kita spoke up. "So, where are you from?"

Ricky glanced at the Pidgeotto after hearing the question. "Hmm?"

Kita glanced back at him. "We got a little bit of a flight, so where ya from?"

Ricky hesitated, the answered seemed obvious. "…The ocean."

"…Fair enough." Kita rephrased the question. "Where'd you your friend come from then?"

"Oh, Halbur." Ricky answered. "It's this dinky lil' town-"

"Halbur?" Kita interrupted, looking down at the Carvanha with a bit of surprise. Cool! Me and Burg used to work there."


End file.
